PedalMonster Peps Up 3-Cylinder
It’s really surprising just how many different applications there are for the PedalMonster throttle controller. Sure, Banks is widely known for its diesel performance products, but we make electronics that are so smart that they don’t care what size vehicle they’re in. Thanks to its OBD connection, PedalMonster can ID the vehicle, allowing you to tailor a pedal calibration for whatever vehicle you drive. Case in point is John Thorn’s daily driver. “I’m not a fan of big cars or trucks,” John says. “I’ve always had small turbocharged or supercharged cars that get good mileage, are relatively quick, and have good handling. Right before Christmas, a guy ran a light, totaling my car. My replacement was a 2020 Ford EcoSport, a micro-SUV with a micro-turbocharged 3-banger. It’s really good on mileage, but the throttle response is awful. The Banks PedalMonster solved that.”
“My little car went from having a painful throttle response to feeling like I had a larger, snappier engine. It really gives you the kind of confidence to be driving on the street. Merging into traffic feels smooth and powerful, and I haven’t even tried all of the levels it has. The transmission shifting seems to have changed as well. I can feel it going through the gears, and it does so without banging. It’s crisp-like shifts, not something that feels lethargic. The whole thing just feels like what I’d expect from a sport model.
“Installing it was a snap,” John explains. Who that knew just plugging something into the throttle and the OBD-II port would make such a huge change? The app even had the PedalMonster check the ECU, and it enabled ‘Reverse Safety,’ a mode that returns the throttle to stock when reversing so that I don’t go warp speed while backing up. I did some research and I couldn’t find any throttle boosters out there that have a “reverse safety” function. Do your research folks, you’re not gonna find any more bang for your buck than this one. Now all I have to do is upgrade the suspension and it’ll be golden!”